Welcome to Rachel Myers and Grace Yaros, Coastal Conservation Technicians!

October 16, 2023.Reading time 10 minutes.

Please join us in welcoming our seasonal coastal conservation technicians, Rachel Myers and Grace Yaros! Rachel and Grace will work at our coastal sanctuaries through the end of spring, helping with maintenance, habitat restoration, and day-to-day operations. Be sure to introduce yourself and say hello if you see them around our sanctuaries! Read on to […]

Beak of the Week – Horned Lark

October 13, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) Family: Alaudidae By Rachel Myers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician The Horned Lark is a small brown songbird with a long body and neck, small bill, and upright posture. Males have yellow faces with a distinct black mask that make them easy to identify. Males also have two tiny head feathers […]

Beak of the Week – Tufted Titmouse

September 22, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) Family: Paridae The Tufted Titmouse is a small gray bird that is related to the chickadee. They have a large head and eyes as well as a thick neck, pointed crest, stout bill, and full body. Their coloring is a soft gray on top, white on bottom, a rusty streak down […]

Beak of the Week – Little Blue Heron

September 16, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Family: Ardeidae The Little Blue Heron is a small heron (~ 60 cm) found throughout the Southeastern U.S mainly during the spring and summer, although year round populations occur along the Gulf Coast and in Florida. Little Blues are often overlooked due to their dark coloration and smaller size; however, […]

A Look Back at the First 5 Years of YPAC and Bird Week

September 14, 2023.Reading time 9 minutes.

By Alex Kneubehl, PhD, Houston Audubon Young Professionals Advisory Council member 2018 – 2023 *note on word choice: to me, I make no distinction between birding and bird watching and often use the former when discussing the hobby at large. I got into birding at a fairly low point in my life. I was about […]

A one-legged Northern Cardinal named Legolas: A lesson in determination.

September 11, 2023.Reading time 9 minutes.

By Schyler Brown, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist Dr. Kelsey Biles and I (Schyler Brown) run a bird banding station as part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (M.A.P.S) program. This program is a nationwide initiative to understand avian populations via bird banding and recapture data during the breeding season. To capture breeding birds, we […]

Beak of the Week – American Flamingo

September 8, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) Family: Phoenicopteridae by Wyatt Egelhoff, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist Perhaps one of the most widely recognizable group of birds by both birders and non-birders alike, American Flamingos are sporadic visitors to Texas’ shores, and even rarer on the upper coast. Adults are hot pink, with strikingly contrasting black primary feathers. Their […]

Beak of the Week – Tricolored Heron

August 18, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) Family: Ardeidae The Tricolored Heron, formerly known as the Louisiana Heron, is a medium-sized heron with a long, slender neck and bill. Adults are mostly blue-gray above, but are distinguished from other grayish herons by their white belly and white stripe down the front of the neck. In breeding plumage Tricolored […]

Beak of the Week – Common Yellowthroat

August 11, 2023.Reading time 3 minutes.

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) Family: Parulidae The Common Yellowthroat is a small songbird that belongs to the diverse family of wood-warblers. This warbler is one of the most common and widespread of their family as their name suggests. Males are bright yellow with a distinct black face-mask and a thin white line just above it. […]

International Cat Day: How to Protect our Feline and Feathered Friends

August 8, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

By Schyler Brown, Conservation Specialist, Houston Audubon We at Houston Audubon want to say Happy International Cat Day! Many of us at Houston Audubon have pet cats and love them dearly. However, we are aware of a looming problem that involves cats… Let’s cut to the chase- cats are the number one cause for the […]